Taken For Granted
by SinsofMidnight
Summary: Shera's been with Cid so long he takes her for granted. When Tseng shows up in Rocket Town, the situation gets... complicated. Summary sucks. Lemon & Citrus! Tseng/Shera. POST AC! This is for ShadowHaloedAngel on dA.


**Taken for Granted:**

_**Teaser:**__  
>" 'Somewhere, there is a man who is need of everything you have to offer and won't take you for granted,' he told me softly, his words striking a chord somewhere in my heart.<br>" 'I just wish he'd show the hell up,' I grumbled, finding myself unable to frown around the stoic man who knew much more than I did about love gone wrong."_

_This fic is for __ShadowHaloedAngel__, as she commissioned a Tseng/Shera fan-fiction from me. Commission #10_

_**Fandom:**__ Final Fantasy VII_

_**Rating: **__M_

_**Warnings:  
><strong>__-BRIEF Yaoi sequences  
>-Jealousy<br>-Smmexy Hetero moments  
>-Angsty<br>-Kinda sweet :)  
>-Cid bashing<br>-OOC_

_**Main Pairing: **__Tseng/Shera_

_**Minor Pairings Mentioned:  
><strong>__-Vincent/Cid  
>-(past) CidShera  
>-RenoRude_

_**Setting: **__Pretty cannon setting. It takes place after Advent Children, in Rocket Town, where Cid lives, and a little bit in Midgar._

_**POV: **__Shera and Tseng, with maybe a little Vincent to show how sweet he's being about the whole damn thing._

_**Additional ANs: **__I don't know how Shera is built in-game, really, but she's pretty busty and curvy in this piece because I felt like it._

* * *

><p><strong>Shera:<strong>

Falling in love with a gay man sucks.

Actually, it fucking _burns,_ smolders like a late-night cigarette, and it leaves a permanent scar.

Or perhaps it was walking into the hanger at the worst time possible that scarred me.

There they were, the man I loved and his new _male_ lover. Vincent had Cid pinned against a wall, both of them nude, as he kissed Cid as though he wanted to ingest him. Cid was by no means fighting it, which perhaps was what hurt the most.

I could have cleared my throat, could have looked away, but I couldn't turn away from the scene: the dark-haired gunman thrusting into Cid, Cid's sweet moans, Vincent's low and sensual rumble, the way their flesh sounded when it slapped together.

Somehow, I felt that my heart would convince my head it was all a misunderstanding, but I could not take another scene of this. So I stood my ground and watched this one play out.

Each roared a possessive word or two as they came, shuddering and trembling, their legs going weak beneath them and causing them to slide down the wall.

_Well,_ I figured, _for their performance, applause is certainly an order._ I greeted them with a series of sharp, choppy claps.

Their gazes jerked to me, afterglow and the fact they were still fucking _entwined_ forgotten.

"Shera," Cid started, softly, in that tender tone he reserved only for trying to soften my hurts.

"Oh, fuck no, Cid. Don't you dare tell me you didn't mean to hurt me!" I roared back at him. I was surprised that was the only thing I said, honestly.

Vincent wisely just kept his mouth shut.

"I came out here to tell you that President Shinra is sending out an emissary to check on any mechanical progress you might have made. He made it clear that it would be soon. Now I just want to remind you to clean up the mess you just made, since the rest of the place is in impeccable order." I turned on my heel and started away, glad I'd reigned in the tears while I was in front of them.

I didn't get far before a warm hand and a cold metal claw settled gently on my shoulders. "I'm sorry, Miss Shera."

I turned and offered him a week smile. "Couldn't he have just _told_ me, Vincent? Couldn't he have just said, 'Shera, I'm sorry, but I'm finding Vincent's ass more interesting than yours'?" I shook my head. "I'm never going to be able to walk into that hanger and not see that."

His human hand gently caught one of the tears streaking down my cheek. "I think he was trying to find a way to tell you. I'm just sorry you had to find out that way."

I sniffed. "Well that settles it. You're going to be the only reason I hang around here," I told him teasingly, forcing a watery smile.

"Or you could install cameras and blackmail him with tapes of us having sex in random places," Vincent suggested wryly.

I burst out laughing, which I had a feeling had been his goal.

"Somewhere, there is a man who is need of everything you have to offer and won't take you for granted," he told me softly, his words striking a chord somewhere in my heart.

"I just wish he'd show the hell up," I grumbled, finding myself unable to frown around the stoic man who knew much more than I did about love gone wrong.

* * *

><p><strong>Tseng:<strong>

I pinched the bridge of my nose, barely listening as Reno babbled on about something-or-other. The good news was that Reno could multi-task, so the chopper wasn't going to crash. The bad news was that I had no _idea_ what he was talking about.

My gaze flitted out the window. "There it is," I told Reno, gesturing to a clearing big enough to set the helicopter down. "They're expecting us."

Reno nodded, silent for once.

Rufus had sent me to check out what Cid had been up to since the fiasco in Midgar. I wasn't particularly looking forward to it, especially since I knew Vincent Valentine, a former Turk, would be there. There's only so much an out-dated file can tell you about a man. I also really had no clue why _I_ was sent to check it out, but I'd long-since learned better than to question the boss, no matter how little sense his orders made on occasion.

Reno set us down easily, not even jarring the chopper. "Am I staying, boss?"

I shook my head. "I'll be here a few days and I recall a large pile of paperwork that's waiting for your _undivided_ attention."

He grimaced briefly. "Have fun, yo."

I hopped out of the chopper and grabbed my things in response. Rocket Town was the furthest thing from fun I could imagine right now.

As Reno took off, a pretty and petite woman with curves the coveralls she wore couldn't hide came out to meet me. She offered her hand and a small smile that didn't reach her green eyes. I could tell she'd been crying. "Hi, I'm Shera. Welcome to Rocket Town, Mr. …" She trailed off, allowing me to fill in the blank.

"Tseng. Just Tseng," I told her, giving her hand a brief shake.

She nodded, the breeze playing in her auburn hair and gracing me with the distinct scent of lemon and lavender. "Tseng. Cid's in the hanger messing with Gaia knows what –he hates it when I butt into whatever he's working on– but I believe Vincent is waiting for you."

I nodded slowly, trying to figure out where, exactly, Shera fit here. She was beautiful, but her coveralls were covered in grease and Gaia-knows-what else. She looked a lot like Cid tended to when he was working on something, aside from the tear-tracks on her face. "Are you alright?" I asked softly before I could stop the words.

She offered me that smile again. "I will be."

I nodded again. At least she didn't lie to me about it when I could obviously tell otherwise.

"Miss Shera, is this the emissary?"

She smiled as the dark-haired man came up to her and set his hand and his claw on her shoulders. "Yes, Vincent."

Were they more than companions? I didn't get that notion from their behavior. He called her Miss Shera, so there was some distance, but they seemed closer than that title suggested. Perhaps… friends? Something inside me was relieved at the thought. I shoved the notion aside and tried not to think about it.

"Where are you headed to?" he inquired politely.

"The hanger. I'll inform him Tseng has arrived and help him clean up."

Vincent nodded, satisfied, and she hurried in that direction. His attention turned to me. "Why did he send a Turk?"

I shrugged. "Rufus has his moments, but you can't exactly question him."

A brief smile crossed his lips. "What are you really here for? I doubt you're checking on Cid's progress, seeing as he doesn't work for Shinra anymore."

"Rufus just wants to know where all of AVALANCHE is and what you're up to. It's more of a courtesy than anything else."

* * *

><p><strong>Shera:<strong>

"Cid, Tseng is here," I called, coming in just in time to see him pull on his shirt.

"What? Are ya fuckin' kiddin' me?" he grumbled.

"I'll help clean up. I told him you were in the hanger working on something," I told him. It stung a little still, but I knew he'd be better off with Vincent than he would ever have been with me.

He blushed and had the good grace to look ashamed. "I'm sorry, Shera," he told me.

"Shut up and get to work, Cid. We don't have time for this conversation right now." I turned and dry-mopped the area that Vincent and Cid had dirtied, careful to get all of the… fluids up. It would have to be mopped properly later, but having a Turk step in a puddle of semen probably wouldn't be a good way to start anything off.

He leaned over and kissed my lips lightly. "Thanks, Shera."

I smiled at him, despite the mood that had been wearing me down since seeing him and Vincent together. "No problem, Cid."

"Miss Shera, Cid," Vincent greeted softly, not even startled to see Cid kiss me. He was perfectly fine with it, smiling like he was happy to see us go back to normal.

"I'm certain the ship could use some work," I murmured, blushing to see Tseng watching our interaction.

"Okay," Cid murmured.

Vincent kissed my cheek, his gentle way of saying goodbye.

I felt eyes on me as I retreated, but I wasn't sure if they were ruby, sapphire, or almost jet-black.

* * *

><p><strong>Tseng:<strong>

Well _that_ was new. I suppose I forgot that Cid's ship was called the Shera. There was a flutter in my stomach that I didn't like, especially after watching Vincent kiss her cheek as well. It wasn't that I had anything against ménage, but I didn't like the notion of her with _them_, for some reason. Or perhaps I didn't like the notion of having misread things between her and Vincent. _Just stop thinking about it!_ I yelled at myself.

"Do ya think I shoulda told 'er that I just fixed all the problems I could find?" Cid asked.

Vincent smiled. "I think it was more about getting away than fixing anything," he returned softly. "Besides, she might find something and she likes tweaking things as much as you do."

"So what are ya really here fer? I ain't even sure _Shera_ bought the other bullshit."

"Rufus just wants to keep tabs on all of you," I returned with a half-smile to cover my churning emotions. "He'd like to know what all you've been up to."

We caught up quickly, like old friends seeing each other after a long time. For three straight hours, we talked about nothing but what they'd been up to. I figured Rufus would be pleased to know how well life was treating them.

"I wonder what Miss Shera is up to." Vincent's quiet words reminded me that I hadn't seen her since she went out to the ship that bore her name.

"She prob'ly founda problem ta fix," Cid grunted.

My PHS vibrated against my hip. I pulled it out and checked my caller ID. "I'm sorry. I have to take this."

Vincent nodded to me and Cid inclined his head briefly.

I walked out of the hanger, into the darkening night and out into the clearing before answering the call. "Tseng."

"Bossss," Reno began, "whatre yaaa up toooo?"

I shook my head. "Reno, how did you get Rude's phone?"

Reno made a questionable sound into the phone and suddenly the familiar deep voice of Rude filled my ear. "Sorry, boss. You know how he is."

"Yes. He's drunk," I remarked.

Reno giggled drunkenly in the background. "How is it progressing?"

"I'm pretty much done here," I told him. "But give me another day or so. I don't trust Reno to fly with a hangover."

Rude made a musing sound, but it was followed by a gasp that told me exactly what my subordinates where up to.

"Rude, are you taking advantage of your drunken partner?"

"No. My drunken partner is taking advantage of me!" he gasped out, and it was followed by a loud moan.

I disconnected.

Intent of finding out if there was a spare room I could barrow for a few days, I started back to the hanger. Peeking through the open door, I was stunned to see Vincent had pinned Cid against a wall. The press of their bodies was very intimate, and their kiss showed the familiarity of lovers as they shamelessly drug sound after sound out of each other's throat.

Well. That was one relationship I hadn't even _thought_ about.

A hand landed on my shoulder and I whirled, grabbing the slender hand off my shoulder and twisting until the arm reached the middle of their back. The familiar smell of lavender and lemons drifted up to me.

"I thought you'd find out eventually," she remarked softly, breathily, her head turning so that pale green eyes found mine in the darkness.

I released her and she took a step away from me. "Find out what?"

"That Vincent and Cid are together." Her gaze found a suddenly interesting part of the grass. "I don't blame you for being shocked. I just found out this morning."

It would probably only hurt her if I told her I'd thought they were _all_ together. I was pretty sure that finding out had been what had caused her tears earlier today, and crying females were one on a very short list of things I don't deal with well.

She started away, then turned to look at me. "Do you have a place to stay tonight, Tseng?"

I shook my head.

Her lips curved slightly. "Come on, then. I have a spare room." She motioned for me follow her.

"Do you live close?"

"Oh, almost next door. I spend more time here than I ever do at home, though," she added laughingly before becoming a bit somber again. "Cid used to be my home."

She was _stunning _when she laughed, but it faded so quickly. Something inside me didn't like that she'd been with Cid, but it was ridiculous to feel like that. I'd barely _met_ the woman: I had no right to feel so damn possessive! "I'm sorry," I said instead.

"Don't be. Vincent is so much better for Cid than I ever was. Cid and I are too much alike…" her voice trailed off. "Both of us are so loud, so certain we know what's best. But Vincent… he's like another species entirely. He's so quiet he barely makes noise when he walks, and he's so adorably uncertain in some things. Seriously, watching him try to use a PHS is priceless."

"Do you doubt yourself now?" I never meant to ask that question, never intended to put her on the spot that way. "I'm sorry. You don't have to answer that."

A hint of a smile graced her lips. "Yeah, I guess I do. Perhaps I've spent so long with the same man I assumed I'd always love him. I guess I never figured out I fell out of love with him years ago, and I certainly never confronted the fact that I didn't love him anymore until I saw them together."

I nodded, trying to take in all that she said. "How did you not know that he was interested elsewhere?"

"Cid and I haven't shared a bed in years. It should have been the first signal we were growing apart, but I admit, I ignored it and chalked it up to circumstances. I suppose I always knew it was Vincent, mostly because it would have been so easy to fall in love with him myself. Perhaps I never thought Cid could be gay or for the _bottom_ of such a relationship, but my eyes were opened this morning, wanted or not." She gave me a very wry smile. "Now, I just want what they have found. I miss waking up in the mornings beside someone, having someone to kiss and hold in the dark, someone who loved me as more than just a friend. But I don't think I'm cut out for that kind of love."

I looked at her, the moonlight shining off her hair, the stars making her wide jade eyes their home. And I leaned over and kissed her lips softly. "Cid's a damn fool," I murmured, watching as those beautiful eyes widened in stunned awareness.

* * *

><p><strong>Shera:<strong>

To say the kiss was a surprise would be like saying Midgar suffered only a _little_ from the Remnants and their Mommy issues.

How could he be so cool and composed and suddenly just come out and kiss me like that? I was so startled by the kiss, I almost didn't hear the words he murmured as he pulled away.

I only knew one way to take his words, but that would involve drawing a conclusion I wasn't comfortable drawing yet.

It wasn't that I didn't find Tseng attractive. I certainly did. I loved the long, draping curtain of shiny black hair. I adored the way his jet eyes shimmered. My hands itched to find out if he hid a muscular body beneath that suit. But he was an intelligent man, and most men found me, at the very least, lacking.

His gaze caught mine. "You're over-thinking it," he told me before taking possession of my lips once more.

His tongue traced the seam of my lips, asking politely for the entry he could have simply taken. _Oh, Hell, I give in._ I angled my mouth beneath his, allowing him better access, and opened to him, tracing his upper lip before allowing him entry. One of my hands un-tucked his shirt enough to slide under it and tease the skin beneath it. Like he'd been waiting for an invitation, one of his arms slid around me and his other hand slid between us, grazing the sensitive flesh of my breasts in a teasing fashion.

I let out a soft keening noise that he swallowed most of as he tongue danced across the roof of my mouth and tangoed with mine. My hips moved forward against his, seeking more contact as my libido caught up with the situation. He growled at the contact and deepened the kiss so much I didn't know where his mouth ended and mine began.

Eventually, we had to separate, but we didn't do so until my lungs were burning with the need for oxygen and a fire was lit in my blood.

I slid my hand out from beneath his shirt and claimed his hand. "Come with me," I whispered huskily, tugging him toward my home.

I swear I heard him say, "Oh, I will," under his breath.

* * *

><p><strong>Tseng:<strong>

Most men would lose their respect for a woman who fell in bed with them so recently after the end of a relationship.

Most men weren't_ me._ Hell, most women weren't _Shera_.

By her own admission, she'd clung a relationship long dead because she _knew_ it, because she, as most humans are, was afraid of change. They hadn't been together intimately in years, which just added to the distance.

My conclusion? Shera was in the 'disposable lover' stage of recovery. What she needed was one night, one lover that made her feel alive again.

The bonus of this was that it would hopefully get her out from under my skin and out of my head.

It seemed like a win-win situation: she got what she needed and I got what I needed.

So I let her lead me into her house. Then I closed the door behind me and pinned her against the large bay window beside it. She let out a startled squeak but it was quickly smothered by my mouth over hers. Her fingers fumbled with the my buttons on my shirt slowly before she growled low in her throat in frustration and just yanked the shirt apart, sending all of the buttons skittering across the floor. I winced at the fate of the shirt but I was quickly distracted by her questing, eager fingers tweaking my nipples.

_Well, that's a first: a woman who sought out my nipples before I sought out hers._

I undid her coveralls at the shoulders and the over-sized garment fell to her ankles, revealing a thin camisole and jogging shorts beneath and a hell of a lot more of her creamy skin. She sighed as I trailed kisses down her jaw and the curve of her neck, and she was trembling like a leaf when I tongued her pulse point lightly. Intrigued by her reaction, I nibbled on the skin and was rewarded with a moan and a husky whisper.

Her hands danced over my chest to my shoulders before she shoved my jacket down my arms, trapping them behind me briefly and leaving me at a disadvantage. I growled slightly, unhappy with the trap.

She chuckled, whispering some platitude apology, but made no move to free me. She smiled, a sensual twisting of her lips, and she nibbled my earlobe, tracing the skin she marked with her tongue. She worked her way slowly down to my neck, then to my chest, planting a length of kisses that spanned the width of my shoulders. She paused after that much, smiling at me slightly.

"I didn't want to be rushed through this," she told me, her voice husky scuffed velvet. "This is my chance to touch and taste and tease and learn what you like. And sometimes I don't get that chance, so I learned to make it."

Despite my displeasure at being trapped, I could understand her reasoning. Gaia knew, my hands would be all over her if they were free. Her hands and mouth slid down my body like silk, touching and caressing everything in her path until she got to the waistband of my slacks. Honestly, I expected her to undo them and keep going, but she surprised me by standing back up again and kissing me, her breasts pressing against my chest through the thin satin of her camisole. Her hands slid behind me and gently slid my jacket and shirt off of one of my hands, allowing me enough freedom to slide it off of the other.

My fervent hands clasped around her, then slid down her back teasingly until I got to the hem of her camisole. I eased my hands forward, following the hem of the shirt, then slowly lifted it up her torso until it rested above the swell of her breasts. They were perfect, bound in the stark white lace but looking like they might overflow in an instant. I could see her hardened nipples straining against the fabric, so I bent and took one into my mouth, lace and all.

Her fingers clutched into my hair like a life-line as she whimpered into the sensation. I chuckled and swirled my tongue over it, brushing the harsh lace against the sensitized nub. Her answering moan would have undone a lesser man. I moved to attend to the other breast in the same way. Reaching behind her, I unclasp the bra and watched the tension leave satin and lace, noticeably dropping a few inches from the weight. Peeling back the cups, I gaze upon perfect pale breasts tipped in rosy points.

"You're beautiful," I told her, my tone almost reverent. Truth be told, I could happily spend hours worshiping such a pair of breasts.

She blushed and turned her face away from me to murmur, "No…"

"It's true," I told her. "You're quite possibly the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, Shera."

She jerked my mouth up to meet hers, probably her notion of how to end our argument as fast as possible.

_I'm not going to stop until I show her just how beautiful she is,_ I promised myself, even as I lost myself in her taste.

* * *

><p><strong>Shera:<strong>

My momma had taught me a lot of things. One of them was to never trust the honeyed purr of a man who thought he was getting some. But perhaps it was the earnest way he said it that made me want to believe he really meant it, and that was more dangerous than anything.

He drew back slightly and covered my face in light kisses. Then he bent far enough to take one of my nipples into his mouth and my head fell back with the force of the sensation.

His mouth may have been occupied there, but his hands certainly weren't. They were busy making quick work of my flimsy jogging shorts and lacy underwear. His mouth moved to the other breast and I stood naked before him.

I wasn't sure if I wanted to cry out and cover myself or rub my body against his in the most shameless and wanton act I'd ever contemplated.

He drew back and just looked at me.

My arms moved to cover my breasts but he stopped them with his hands. "Don't," he told me softly, his gaze rolling over my body slowly like a caress.

He kissed my cheek, my jaw line, down my neck, on the valley between my breasts, down the trail of reddish hair that met the apex of my thighs. And then he looked up at me and I just _knew_ that Tseng wasn't lying, that he truly thought I was beautiful. But knowing that didn't make me any less shy.

He eased my thighs apart slowly. "Let me take care of you," he murmured softly, his Wutaian accent more pronounced than before.

Shivering from the heat in his gaze, the tenderness in his tone, I let his part my thighs and touch me in a way Cid had never even wanted to.

* * *

><p><strong>Shera:<strong>

It was the middle of the night, but we were barely resting from our third bout of love-making –he was far too tender with me to call it sex.

"I think you've kissed every inch of me," I told him with a giggle, laying lazily against his chest.

He smiled. "If it helps anything, every inch of you is delicious."

I laughed softly and rolled over to stand on my hands and knees over him. "It's my turn," I told him, kissing his lips softly.

* * *

><p><strong>Tseng:<strong>

Warm sunlight awakened me slowly in an empty bed. I sat upright, startled by the thought. _Empty bed? After a night with Shera, _I_ wake up along?_

The smell of cinnamon and sausage drifted into the room.

"Tseng?" Shera called, poking her head into the room. "Oh! You're awake."

She stepped in, giving me the full view: she was wearing my ruined dress shirt and nothing else. The material parted teasingly over her breasts and her nipples hardened under my gaze.

Her gaze locked on mine. "If we do this, breakfast will burn!" she protested, but she stepped toward the edge of the bed anyway.

I pulled her on top of me only long enough to roll her beneath me. "You look good enough to eat," I told her, my accent thickening.

She stared up at me with smiling eyes and kissed my lips. "It's just your shirt, Tseng."

"It's driving me mad."

"I was going to fix it."

"Don't bother." I pulled the material tight across her nipple and sucked through the material.

The sound of surrender from her throat was sweeter than anything she could have been making for breakfast.

* * *

><p><strong>Shera:<strong>

"You ruined breakfast," I told him, still too satisfied to even have it sound like an accusation.

He chuckled. "I wanted you for breakfast," he told me warmly.

I blushed slightly and rolled away from him. "C'mon. I was kidding. I already had some made, so we'll probably have to reheat it, but nothing is burned to a crisp or anything."

"Shera," he cautioned as he climbed out of my bed, totally naked. "You should probably put something else on so I don't ravish you on the table."

I laughed. "Same goes for you, Hot Stuff."

* * *

><p><strong>Tseng:<strong>

It was sunset when the chopper came.

Shera was the only one there with me as Reno set it down.

"I suppose this is goodbye," she told me, her eyes bright.

"It is."

She smiled at me. "Take care of yourself, Tseng," she commanded before kissing my lips softly and hurrying back to Cid's hanger.

Reno stuck his head out. "Ready, boss man?"

"Ready."

_I just hope I can forget her._

* * *

><p><strong>Shera:<strong>

It was a week after he'd gone. Each day seemed harder and harder to take.

Today, I'd finally given up and curled up on my bed in nothing but his dress shirt. If nothing else, I knew it could help me remember the feel of his arms wrapped around me so tenderly, like I was fragile and precious.

"So this is where you are."

I looked up, startled to see my former lover in my bedroom. "Cid."

His eyes took in what I was wearing –and what I wasn't wearing. "Ya love 'im?" he asked softly, his eyes softening.

"No! It was just sex. Great sex, but sex." Why did it hurt so much to say that?

"Then why 're ya cryin', Shera?" he asked softly, his rough fingertip catching the tear streaking down my cheek.

"Oh, because I'm female. Hormonal," I lied, brushing it off like it wasn't about Tseng, wasn't about his tender touch and soft words and the way his accent got deeper when I turned him on.

He shrugged and did what he always did when he didn't understand me –he walked away.

* * *

><p><strong>Tseng:<strong>

"Boss?" Elena asked tentatively.

"What?" I snapped back, irritable. I was always irritable now, ever since I left her. _Don't think about her. It hurts._

"W-what ha-happened in Rocket Town? You haven't been yourself since you returned, sir." Elena's voice trembled.

I glared at her. "Don't ever bring that up again." _Don't make me remember the woman I can't have._

"Yes, sir!" she breathed out, panicked as she fled my office.

* * *

><p><strong>Shera:<strong>

"You," he told me in that soft, blunt way of his, "have been moping. For two weeks, Miss Shera."

I forced a smile for Vincent's benefit. "What are you talking about?"

"Since Tseng left, it's like a part of you is gone, too."

_Yeah. It's my heart, but he didn't want it, so I can't ask him to take it._ "I'm fine, Vincent. Really."

"Is that why you cry yourself to sleep at night?"

His soft, gentle words tore me in half. I hadn't thought they could hear it. "What do you want me to say?"

"Tell me the truth, Miss Shera. Are you in love with Tseng?"

I slid down the hanger wall like my bones had suddenly dissolved. "I thought I could do it. I wanted Tseng; Tseng wanted me. We had sex. A lot, especially since we had less than 24 hours together. I should have been fine. I was scratching that itch, I was following a whim, and it was glorious. But I fell in love with him, and he's gone. It was just supposed to be that day, those stolen moments. How am I supposed to ask him to receive a heart I'm not sure is whole to begin with?"

Vincent pulled me against him awkwardly. "If he knows anything –and as the first in command of the Turks, he should know quite a lot– he'll know he can't have anything better than you."

I smiled brokenly. "Midgar has a selection of women far prettier, far smarter, and much more cosmopolitan than me. I won't be that hard for him to forget."

* * *

><p><strong>Vincent:<strong>

"There's somethin' wrong with the boss-man, yo."

"Rufus?" I asked, startled.

"Nah. Tseng. He ain't been the same since he got back from your neck of the woods."' I could hear Reno polluting his lungs with those… cancer sticks he so adored.

"Is he hurting?"

"Somethin' awful, but he won't tell us why. All he does is growl at us, anymore, yo."

I got some sick sense of glee out of that. "Well, at least she's not suffering alone."

"What? It's a woman?"

"A friend of mine. It's better, I guess, that they fell together, not separately. I'll see what I can do about fixing your boss."

And with all the phone etiquette learned in my years with the Turks, I hung up on him.

Then I called Elena to schedule a meeting.

* * *

><p><strong>Shera:<strong>

I stared at Vincent. "What do you mean, 'We leave for Midgar in an hour'?"

"You have a meeting you have to make, Miss Shera. Fix his shirt on the flight."

And like that, I found myself on the ship bearing my name with nothing but a short black business skirt, a pair of black heels, a black duster-length jacket –after all, it was always cooler in Midgar– and the white button-down shirt that belonged to my former lover.

Vincent had brushed my hair until it shinned while I had mended the shirt, telling me about the phone call he'd received from a certain Turk contact.

"Tseng won't make the first move after promising it would only been that short amount of time. He lives by his word."

"If it weren't for you, he'd die by it, too," I muttered. "I feel ridiculous. The last time he saw me in his shirt, he pinned me to my bed and had his way with me again."

Vincent's ruby eyes positively gleamed. "Perfect."

* * *

><p><strong>Tseng:<strong>

"Uh, boss?" Elena asked over the intercom. "Your last appointment of the day is here. Vincent Valentine sent them."

"Very well. Send them in." I tried to curb my desire to growl at her –it wasn't her I was angry at, and it really wasn't fair– so I stared down at the files on my desk until I heard the _click_, _click_, _click_ of heels on my tiled floor.

My gaze shot straight to her face and my expression went slack.

"Hello, Tseng," she greeted softly. "It's so much colder here in Midgar."

I wasn't sure if she was talking about the weather or my reaction.

* * *

><p><strong>Shera:<strong>

Okay, so he hadn't killed me yet. That was a promising sign.

"Shera. What are you doing here?"

I'd swear he looked almost frightened, but Turks don't get shaken up that easily.

"Vincent was being a bit… nosey, but he had help from one of your underlings. It seems you've been quite grumpy since you got back," I smiled softly at that. "And they think I might be able to do something about that." I perched on the edge of his desk. "Do you mind if I remove my coat?"

"No. Go ahead." He was fighting to maintain a calm façade, but I could almost _feel_ it slipping.

I chewed my lower lip as I worked each button out of its hole slowly, almost seductively. I could feel his eyes following my movements.

But there was no imagining the stunned gasp when the coat fell open.

"My shirt."

I smiled and stood, the coat falling to the floor from my shoulders.

* * *

><p><strong>Tseng:<strong>

"You see," she told me as she rounded my desk, "Vincent also thinks there's something wrong with me."

She slid into my lap easily and I knew she could feel how much I wanted her, how much I wanted to rip the shirt wide open and take her the same way I had last time.

"Vincent says I've been moping. Cid doesn't know what to do with me when I burst into tears. But perhaps the worst part of that was thinking I'd been the only fool involved, the only one who hadn't left my heart at the door when I went into the bedroom." She undulated her hips against mine. "Perhaps our bodies need to do the talking, since the biggest lie I've ever told was 'I don't love Tseng'," she whispered in my ear.

As the words actually sunk it, I stared at the beautiful, persuasive woman in my lap and then pinned her down on the desk in front of me.

* * *

><p><strong>Shera:<strong>

His eyes were molten pools of want. Sitting in his lap had only exaggerated the issue on that front, but at least he looked damn willing to do something about it.

"How long did it take you to fix the shirt, Shera?" he asked, his accent getting a bit thicker as his arousal grew.

"Mmm, I don't know. It won't break my heart if you ruin it, you know." I arched up slightly to brush against his lips. "I like it better without them. It reminds me of breakfast."

A growl echoed in the office before tiny pearly buttons scattered and skittered along the tile floors.

"Gaia, I have missed you, you crazy woman," he told me, his tone husky as he parted the shirt, only to discover I wore nothing beneath it. He inhaled sharply, then released the breath slowly. "If you tell me you're not wearing underwear beneath that skirt, I think I'll go crazy."

"Blame Vincent," I murmured, blushing and not willing to confirm his suspicions.

"I might have to thank him at some point," he murmured, easing the skirt up my thighs with his knee.

Sighing, I spread my legs and felt the material ease up just enough for his knee to brush against me.

He squeezed his eyes shut and swore in his native tongue.

I kissed his lips softly, knowing almost instinctively he was fighting for control. "Tseng," I murmured, not sure what to say. 'I want you' would push him over. 'Stop' would hurt him. "I love you," I breathed out, meaning each word of it.

His eyes opened wide. "Shera," he breathed out, his hand tracing my cheekbone.

Pulling his hand to my lips, I pressed a kiss on it, watching him. "It's okay, Tseng." _It's okay if you can't say the words. It's okay if you can't give me forever, or happily ever after. It's okay if you can't be my husband and give me joy and children. It's okay, because I'll always love you, anyway._

He moved his hand and kissed me softly, deeply. Slowly, he withdrew, dropping kisses on my neck and murmuring the most melodic words I'd ever heard into my skin.

I nuzzled against him, unsure of what he said, unsure of how he felt about me. I knew I loved him, knew I wanted him, knew he wanted me. His words were a mystery to me –I didn't speak Wutaian– but I really didn't want to destroy our moment by asking. So instead, I tried to cross the distance between us. Arching off his desk, I felt my breast press against his starched white shirt. "You have too many clothes on," I purred out lightly, my fingers tracing the line of buttons.

I watched his chocolate eyes turn molten and hot again as I let my back fall against the desk.

Slowly, I unbuttoned the top button of his shirt, stretching up to press a kiss on the warm skin. I slipped the next one through its hole and kissed the skin softly. On and on this went, until I'd unbutton six buttons and planted six kisses on his chest. He released an impatient sound and pulled back to simply lift the dress-shirt over his head. Then his warm skin pressed against mine and I moaned softly.

He pressed his lips to mine again, the kiss almost chaste but for the fact I was mostly naked on his desk and he was half naked over me. I slid my hand up to cup his head, to hold his lips to mine, and I opened my lips beneath his, a blatant invitation to deepen the kiss. He accepted the invitation, his tongue plundering my mouth as I worked the ponytail out of his hair. It fell forward, caressing my cheeks as he kissed me, and I smiled as the dark silky strands slid across my skin.

He drew back and I felt the cloth of his slacks drop.

Ah. The reason he hadn't stopped me from undoing his hair was that his hands had been busy elsewhere.

He toed out of his shoes and socks before shedding his slacks and boxers. I still felt like I was the one at the disadvantage with a ruined dress shirt parted around me and a short skirt hiked up to my waist, even though my lover was completely nude. Maybe it was because I'd been ravished on his desk.

He came back to me, pressing himself against me and surrounding me with his strength. I moved my hips barely and felt his need against my thigh. His hand snuck between my legs to stroke my heat, to see how ready I was for him. Perhaps it startled both of us when his fingers came away covered in my own need.

"Please," I pled softly.

He growled softly in the back of his throat and he squeezed his eyes shut again.

"Please, Tseng. I need you."

Perhaps it was the way I said it, the need and love mingling in my tone, or his own desire, but whatever it was, it prompted an almost hasty joining of our bodies. I loved the way he filled me, his haste dulling none of the tenderness he'd always shown me.

When he was buried deep inside of me, he looked into my eyes with such an intense gaze that I almost wanted to look away. He traced the side of my face with his fingertips before tunneling his fingers through my hair and pulling my lips to his as he began to move.

He always seemed to find the perfect rhythm each time we made love and this time was no exception. The pace he chose was rough but fast, as if he could sense how quickly the pleasure built up in my belly. Or perhaps it was the same for him. Either way, it was fast and rough and glorious as my nails scored the skin on his back and he marked my neck.

We each came with our own possessive posturing: he roared his ownership and I pulled him as close as I could just to hold him to me.

We just stayed there for a moment, just clung to that instant, that connection as we held on tightly to each other. Then reality set in as his seed dripped down my leg and onto the wooden desk beneath me and as he drew slowly back.

He kissed the top of my head and tenderly whispered the same Wutaian words once more.

"What does that mean?" I asked as I slid off his desk to stand before him. My skirt fell back into place and I pulled the shirt closer across my chest.

He blinked. " 'I love you, beautiful'," he replied softly.

I threw my arms around him and laughed lightly. "Looks like I need to thank Vincent."

Warm lips caressed mine. "Later. I've missed you, Shera."

I laughed again and let him have his way. Some deep part of me knew that this man would never allow me to be taken for granted again.

We probably wouldn't have forever, and it would be a challenge to see each other sometimes, but knowing that you're loved and wanted and needed… well, sometimes, that's all you need.

* * *

><p><strong>YAY! AN TIME! XD<strong>

**Part of how it's written has to deal with my own emotional mess, so please don't mind the drama, kids! **

**And YAY, THIS IS HETERO!**

**Let me know what you liked, hated, ect. al.**

**Make me a happy camper!  
><strong>


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